The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced that roadwork will begin in May on the $4.9-million, multi-state project to build a new Bridgetown Pike Bridge over the Neshaminy Creek, a new State Route 413 bridge over Core Creek and to realign the intersection of Bridgetown Pike and Route 413 in Northampton and Middletown townships, Bucks County.

“We are ready to embark on a long-awaited project to upgrade two deteriorating bridges and to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion at the intersection of Route 413 and Bridgetown Pike,” said PennDOT District Administrator Andrew L. Warren.

In mid-May, PennDOT will close the aging Bridgetown Pike Bridge over the Neshaminy Creek for about a month to build a support abutment for the new steel structure. PennDOT will build the new bridge upstream from the current span. The old steel truss bridge, which is 4.3 meters (14 ft.) wide, will reopen to vehicular traffic in late June and remain open until the new bridge opens in November.

In June, construction will start to replace the Route 413 Bridge over Core Creek. This bridge sits on Route 413 just north of the Bridgetown Pike intersection. PennDOT will keep one lane open in each direction on Route 413 during this operation.

“The multiple transportation improvements being made under this project will greatly improve travel on both Bridgetown Pike and Route 413,” Warren said.

On Route 413, PennDOT will remove the existing 6.7-meter (22 ft.) bridge and build a new three-lane concrete structure that is 18 meters (60 ft.) wide. The new bridge will carry 3.7-meter (12 ft.) wide travel lanes and two 3.7-meter (12 ft.) wide bicycle lanes.

Crews also will add left turn lanes in both directions on Route 413 at Bridgetown Pike to reduce backups caused by the lack of turning lanes. New traffic signals will go up at the intersection.

On Bridgetown Pike, crews will build a new two-span steel beam bridge that is 12 meters (40 ft.) wide and 90 meters (295 ft.) long, and new roadway approaches to the bridge. The new structure will carry two 3.7-meter (12 ft.) wide lanes and 2.4-meters (8 ft.) wide shoulders.

At the intersection with Route 413, PennDOT will realign Bridgetown Pike to create a cross intersection. Due to its offset alignment, Bridgetown Pike motorists today must turn onto Route 413 and turn back onto Bridgetown Pike to drive from one side of the pike to the other — a situation that causes traffic backups and delays.

The existing Bridgetown Pike Bridge was built in 1879 and rehabilitated in 1932. The bridge, which is posted with a three-ton weight restriction, closed in October 1996 after flood waters damaged a stone wall abutment. The bridge reopened in august 1997 following a $243,000-repair project.

With the opening of the new Bridgetown Pike Bridge, PennDOT will give the old steel bridge to Bucks County for bicycle and pedestrian use.

Loftus Construction Company of Cinnaminson, NJ, is the general contractor on the $4.9-million project. The work is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.

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